If Courtney seems unusually confident on The Block 2026, there’s a reason. The 34-year-old from Brisbane isn’t just another renovation rookie — she’s a commercial construction site manager who’s deliberately telling rival teams she works in “admin” to keep her real experience under wraps.
Teaming up with her longtime best friend Sev on the Pink Team, Courtney arrives with serious building knowledge that could make her one of the season’s biggest threats.
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Courtney’s biggest strategy started before the tools even came out.
While introducing herself to the other contestants, she’s been describing her job as “admin” rather than revealing that she manages commercial construction sites for a living.
It’s a calculated move designed to stop competitors from immediately seeing her as one of the strongest builders in the competition.
Away from television, Courtney oversees major commercial projects including universities, schools, hotels, resorts, shopping centres, bars, and clubs. She also has hands-on renovation experience after completing two of her own property projects.
For a competition where project management can matter just as much as design, it’s an advantage worth protecting.
Courtney & Sev’s Backstory
Courtney isn’t competing with a stranger or even a family member. She’s tackling The Block alongside her best friend of more than 12 years, Sev, a 37-year-old commercial interior designer.
Their friendship has already been tested well before reality television.
When Sev’s husband, Nelson, experienced a medical episode during the construction of their home, Courtney opened her own house to the family. They lived together for 16 months while Courtney also helped oversee the build, creating the kind of trust that’s difficult to replicate under The Block‘s intense pressure.
That history could become one of the Pink Team’s biggest strengths when deadlines tighten.
How They’re Splitting Roles On-Site
Rather than overlapping responsibilities, Courtney and Sev have divided the workload according to their professional strengths.
Courtney takes charge of:
- Budget management
- Scheduling and coordinating tradies
- Keeping construction on track
Meanwhile, Sev focuses on:
- Interior design
- Styling decisions
- Shopping and product selections
It’s a partnership that closely mirrors how professional renovation teams operate, with one person driving construction and the other shaping the finished look.
She’s Not the Only One Hiding a Trade
Courtney isn’t the only contestant choosing to keep part of their résumé quiet.
Several teams have entered the competition without immediately revealing their construction backgrounds:
- Adam is a qualified carpenter (chippy) despite presenting himself as a station manager.
- Chantel is also a qualified tradie while initially leading with her small-business background.
- Rosco previously worked as a construction estimator.
With multiple contestants downplaying their industry experience, Season 22 appears to feature one of the most professionally skilled casts the show has assembled.
Does Experience Actually Win The Block?
Construction knowledge is undeniably useful, but it doesn’t automatically translate into victory.
Managing budgets, coordinating trades and avoiding costly mistakes can provide a significant edge.
At the same time, The Block is ultimately judged on finished spaces that must appeal to buyers and judges alike. Design choices, teamwork, time management and decision-making under pressure remain just as important.
Courtney’s professional background gives the Pink Team a strong foundation. Whether that’s enough to win will depend on how well construction expertise blends with Sev’s design instincts across the season.
Season 22 premiered on August 2, 2026, and was filmed in Mt Eliza on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. It’s the first season to feature water-view properties and the first where every team lives together in a shared off-site house instead of staying on their individual builds.
Is Courtney a real tradie?
Courtney works as a commercial construction site manager. While she introduced herself to other contestants as working in “admin,” her professional career involves managing major commercial building projects and renovations.
What does Courtney do for a job?
She is a commercial construction site manager overseeing projects including universities, schools, hotels, resorts, shopping centres, bars and clubs. She has also renovated two of her own properties.
Who is Sev, Courtney’s The Block partner?
Sev is Courtney’s best friend of more than 12 years and a commercial interior designer. Together they make up the Pink Team, with Sev leading design and styling while Courtney manages construction and budgets.
